Friction spring-gear.



I. F. OCONNOR. FRICTION SPRING GEAR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. IS. I9I5. I,226,579. Patented May15,1917.

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INIE TOR. 1 Ja/zfz' r IQ. TToRNE Y l. F. OCONNGR. FRICTIGN SPRING GEM.. APPLICATION man ocT. a8. 1915.

Patented May 15, 1917. y

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l TQQATTORNEY J. F. OCONNOR.

FHICTION SPRING GEAR. APPLICATION msn oc.1,1915.

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FRICTION SPRING GEAR. APPLICATION 111.511 ocT.18. 1915.

Patented 111315115, 1917.

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A y \\w 1A' VE/y TOR. @fm2/FJ@ f BY C 5U@ T TTORNE Y W I TNEFS EDSTATES PATENT i ien. f

JOHN In vo'coNNoItJ or cHIoiieo, ILLINOIS, AssIeN'oRmo WILLIAM H. Minna, 0F

cmizv, NEW vomi. y

' rIiIerioN sI'RINGLcEAn. 'Y

Lezama Be it known that I, JOHN F. OCoNNon,

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, liave invented `a certain new and useful Improvement in Friction Spring- (iears, of which the following is a full, clear,

concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

tical sectional 4view of a draft rigging show-A ing my improvements in connection 'therewith. Fig.-2 is alongitudinal, horizontal sectional `viewon the line 2-`-2 of Figgl.

F ig. 3 isfa transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially on thejline 3;-3, of`

Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail'perspectives oi the wedge and one of the followers einployed in the structure illustrated in Figs.

A1 2 and 3. Figs. (3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are views corresponding respectively with 1, 2,

8, 4 and 5, but illustrating different em' bodnnent of my improvement, Fig. 7 being 4taken on the line 7--7 oi Fig. 6 and Fig. 8

i' on the line 8 8 of Fig. (i.

, 12 secured thereto.

ln said drawing, and referring iii-st to Figs. 1 to inclusive, -10-10 denote the center lsills having i'ear stops 11 and front stops The draw bai- 13 is shown, as operatively connected with the gear hereinafter described, by a yoke 14 and coupler key 15 andthe gear is supported by means Aof a saddle plate v216 bolted to the lower ianges ofthe sills 10. The improved gear proper consists or' two similaritollowl..

ers -A'e-A, four sets of laminated springs li-l and awedge C. More specifically described, each 'follower A liasa vertical outer end tace 16, upper and'lowerparallel walls 17 and and two angularly disposed peck vets V15)-19 within each of ywhich a set of sprii-igs `B is received. Each of the `spring pockets 19 has upper and lower tlatlwallsv 20'--20, parallel inclined side Walls 21--21 anda rear inclined, concave, vertically extend-ing wall22. As clearly appears from ,FigSQQ and 5,the pockets19 4open toward `angles-to each other. I shown,l is provided with four, vertically eX- -tending wedge faces 2er-24, each of said Specification of Letters Patent. Paiteylta play 15,' 1917', Aiipiicetion inea october 18,1915.` 'serial No. 56,428. i

the center of the gear and thereby permit.

The opposed faces of the 'four sets of' springs B-B forni, roughly, the outlines in normal position, fiat, as shown in Fig. 2.

ora diamond and are arrangedin 4pairs at The wedge C, as

wedgefaces 2i coperating with a spring B. The wedge' Cis also preferably .cored to lighten the 4same andto reduce cost. i retaining bolt 25 extends through each of the followers AHA and Valso through the wedge C and thus hold the parts in asserny bled'relation. As shown in Fig; 2, the inner. vertical faces 26-26 of the followers A-A are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the total movement of the gear, and when .Said followers come into engagement with` each other under either buff or draft the action of the' gear is thereby limited, .as Will be understood.

' In operation,v upon either ,buff or draft,

atively, thereby causingthe four sets of springs B-B to be tiered` outwardly or away from the center line ,of the gear, the

1thefollowersiif-A approach eachother rel Y I springs ilexinggagainst the concave faces 22--22. Also, there is Va frictionl actionA which takes place betweenthe faces `of the wedge C and the cnd plates 23 ofthe sets of 'springs B-B so that a very high capacity is obtained both in ydirect spring action and also in friction action. The arrangement is simple, cheap, and the springv plates 23 may all be of the saine. size and form. It

. is apparent that the capacity may be regu- .lated vas desired by varying the number of spring plates or their thickness or both.

^ Referring now 'to the structure illustrated in Figs. (3 to 10, the arrangement of sills, stops,draw-bar,coupler key, yoke and tie plate are substantially the same as those shown in the preceding figures. the followers A-'-A is provided with an outer-vertical end face 116 adapted to en gagefvvitli the stops, and a pocket or recess 19 which opens towardA the center of the ispreferably formed by upper and lower,

Each of gear. `Each of said 'pockets or recesses 19 was 1"2af122'.- A aoa'a'rig wedge e' is em? jployed and two sets of springsQB-'-B..` j As :clearly shown -in Fig. 7,' each se'tvoffsprings B consists of a plurality of spring -plates 123 which arenormally flexe f elliptic kspring presentlng an vouter convex face aOfadapt'ed'to'eoperate' with two of the curved walls 122 of the followers andan inner,A concave facealadapted to coperate with the convex faces @124 of the.wedge C. The height' of the wedge C is rso proportioned that' it slides betweenv and'is guided y vby the upper and lowerwalls 120-120 of the two followers. Also, the followers are so arranged as to limit the action of the gear in the saine manner as previously;described for the'structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5.

A-A 'approach eachother therebycaus-'- ing' thesets of sp1'ingsB. -.Bto be flexed between the wedge C- andthe curved walls l122-122and, as will be understood, friction is created between the plate springs 123 due -to their slidingor slipping u'pon eachother duringthe flexing action.

.I claim:

1. In `a 'draftl rigging, thepeombination with. followers, 'and a Centrally located, wedge block, of plate springs'supported Ibetween said followers andv adapted to .'be".

' flexed between saidrfollowers'and said'block upon .relative approachof said followers,

plate springs supported between saidv folf lowers and adapted to be flexed between said yfollowers and said blocknupon relative appreach of said. followers, the block'being' A'movable relatively to the -followersduring as shown. Each s rin set B a roximates'a semi' P g PP.

.said relative a'ppro'aclnsaid followers ,be-A

ing'provided with curved surfaces against which the springs `are .adapted to -be flexed.

3. In a draft-rigging, fthe combination with followers',- and a' centrally vlocatedlwedge block, said wedge block 'being -ta-v '.pered toward eachend'thereo'f withrthe longest dimension of-.a'cross section extending. parallel vto the/axis of the gear,A of sets of plate springs supported by said-followers,

said springs being adapted' to be lexedbetween said followers and sa-id block upon relative approach of the fol-lowers.

4. In a draft rigging,-v the' combination' pered towardA each end thereof withthe long with followers, and a centrally located. i

.wedge block,` said 'wedge block being ta-A 60' est dimension of across section extending of plate springs supported by saidfollowers,

.said springs being adapted to be flexed be- .parallel to the axis of the gear, 'of sets tween said, 'followers andsaid block. upon 1 relative approach ofthe followers, each of said followers having two opposed curved surfaces, inclined to the axis of the gear andagainst whichsaid plate springs are adapted fto be flexed. M 5. 1n a draft rigging,' the 'combination with a pair of followers, each having a pair of curved surfaces, one on each side of 'a vertical plane passing through the center line of the gear7 of a centrally located wedge supported-by said followers, and. sets of plate springsinterposed between saidffollowers and 'said wedge,- said springs 'being [flexed vagainst said curved surfaces upon relative approach of the followers, the

action of the' gear being limitedA by engagement of the followers with eachother. In witness that I' claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed -my name this 17th day of October,' 1915.

' t 'JoHN F.' oeoNNoR. 

